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Spoilers ahead for the mid-season finale ofBetter Call Saul.
Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) has long been one ofBetter Call Sauls most underrated characters.
Have you tried that yourself?We did not do it on the day.
And the problem is, Im going to get it.
Thats the price you pay.
They wanted the shock value of those last 30 seconds.
Im curious what your perspective is of that.
And its only two thirds of the page, but it says, Lalo enters.
I was like,What?And then literally half a page later, its over.
It sort of took my breath away on the page.Oh, thats final.
Thats like a shot in the dark as Im driving away.
I participated in a lawyer show that has some emotional problems.
Thats really what I was in.
I dont know whats going on in the rest of the show, except for those last few seconds.
I remember getting chills, like, Oh, Mike andKimare talking now?
But my interaction with Tony is very slight.
Thats why it works.
It works because its unexpected to me and to Jimmy that hes there.
I love the fact that Tom gave Howard the line to Lalo, You want my advice?
That didnt happen, and thats why Im not a writer.
Well, Im sure there will be some fan fiction of that.
But even before that big moment, this is already Howards biggest episode of the show.
The mediation scene is the centerpiece.
What is it about that specific humiliation that really gets to Howard?
Now hes losing control.Absolutely, its the worst thing.
Were in the boardroom, which is his power seat.
Chuck is overlooking us at the end of the room.
Were not even playing the game unless we already know the outcome.
Were masters of the universe.
Poor Rich Schweikart is the way we look at it.
Its funny how wanting to get revenge on Jimmy overrides all of Howards comportment.
It overrides all of his business sense.
It overrides everything he is.
Thats how much Jimmys got his hooks in him.
Then I realize thats the game.
Its like stripping me naked.
The fact that I have to be ushered out is the height of embarrassment.
But its double because its them, and they got me.
We finally get Howards wife, Cheryl, this season.
I mentioned her in therapy, and the internet was like, Cheryl?
The LGBTQ community was like, That doesnt mean anything.
[Some fans have long suspected Howard is gay.
Good for him, thats great!
So thats him in a nutshell.
Almost there, Howard.Almostthere.
When the breakdown comes and everything else happens, he gets into action, really.
He goes to Jimmy and Kims apartment to say, I get it.
I cant explain this to anybody else.
No one will believe me.
But thats okay, because you know what?
And I will garner everything that Ive got.
Thats not a Howard we saw before.
Howard used to reach his hand out: How can I help you?
How can I help you?
Sorry I did that.
How can I help you?
And of course he gets derailed.
Is it because of the Sandpiper money?Because it feels much more personal.
And I believe it is.
You talk a lot about Chuck in the episode.
Your character started the show as this intermediary, a sort of an appendage to Chuck.
Chuck hasnt been alive since season three, but what lingering influence does he have in this story?
That was the setup.
He might be vain, but hes not an idiot.
And I think the destruction and rebirth of HHM shows exactly that.
It shows that theres honor, and a tip of the hat.
I think hes always under Chucks watchful eye.
I also think I became a substitute for Jimmys anger at Chuck.
Chuck is there in all things HHM.
And until HHM is gone, hes going to be there, without a doubt.
Thats such a turning point.Howards washed his hands at that point.
He has done all he can.
And what is Jimmy really yelling at?
Is he really yelling at a guy whos trying to get him a job?
Is he yelling at Chuck?
I think theres a lot of Chuck colored in all of it.
You know, major deaths like that affect everybody, and they reverberate.
They dont just stop and go away.
The ripples of the river keep running.
What more do I want in life?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
